I’ll just send you the link to the best Medium article I have come across. It explains a lot of what is happening in USA and much of the western world.

https://medium.com/the-atlantic/the-9-9-percent-is-the-new-american-aristocracy-2237e8213fd

One great thing about Medium is the great recommendations for books. Right now, I am in the middle of a great book (can’t remember the name) about how civilizations rise and decay. The author cites examples from the Romans, Chinese, Indians, Muslims, Western Europeans, and Eastern Europeans (I haven’t made to the Americas yet). But there seems to be a pattern that takes decades and centuries to play out.

1. A society has a revolution. A new ruling class is restructuring the society.
2. At first, this ruling class is quite fair. People from the lower classes have more opportunities than they had before. They are happy.
3. Those who succeed in this new order become protective of their privileged positions. They become a stronger political force that the rulers can’t ignore.
4. Those from the lower classes have fewer opportunities. Resentment builds. The government loses moral legitimacy.
5. Another revolution happens. We start over!

When I get back to my Kindle reader, I’ll get you the name of this book.